Harry Potter veteran Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort in the iconic movie franchise wants Cillian Murphy to take over his role in the upcoming HBO series. The network officially confirmed that a Harry Potter TV show was in the works back in April 2023. Since then, fans have been curious to find out which actors will bring the magical world of Hogwarts to life. So, it’s no surprise that the original cast of the movies is weighing in too!
During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Fiennes confessed that he wants the Oppenheimer actor to take on the role of the iconic villain. According to Fiennes, Murphy is a fantastic actor who will do absolute justice to the character based on J.K Rowling’s best-selling book series. However, in the past, the actor has expressed that he wouldn’t be opposed to reprising the role himself, as reported by Variety.
As far as the development of the Harry Potter TV series goes, Warner Bros. has just announced that the show will start filming in Summer 2025. As reported by Variety, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod have auditioned around 32,000 kids for the lead roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. However, the final casting decisions are still being made and none of the cast members of the show have officially been announced.
The Young Actors in the ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Will Be Newcomers
Image via Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
While the producers of the upcoming show have not spilled the beans on any major details, they have confirmed that they will stay true to the source material. According to Gardiner and Mylod, they will stick to the canonical age for all the characters in the series. For example, Severus Snape will be in his 30s, similar to the books, according to Variety. James and Lily Potter will also be younger in the show, in contrast to the film franchise, since they were only 21 when they died in the books.
Mylod revealed that for the adult characters, he wants to cast some of the most brilliant theater actors in the U.K. However, all the young actors are going to be newcomers. While talking about the difference between the movie franchise and the TV show, Gardiner shared that the HBO series will really “dig into the character arcs.” The Harry Potter series will also explore Hogwarts and its history on a deeper level than the films.
However, Mylod made it clear that the show’s intention wasn’t to overshadow the brilliant movie franchise or disrespect it. According to him, the intention with the show is for the world of Harry Potter to evolve. In fact, the producers haven’t even messed with the set of the Great Hall, which will be similar to how it was in the movies. But fans can expect the show expand on the architecture of Hogwarts and present a more modern version of it.
The upcoming HBO Original Series will be filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with production beginning in Summer 2025. While the show was initially supposed to come to Max in 2026, its release date has now been pushed to 2027. In the meantime, you can watch the Harry Potter Film Series on Max.
 |
Harry Potter Film Series (2001-2011) |
|---|---|
| Cast | Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton |
| Release Dates | November 16, 2001 (Philosopher’s Stone) to July 15, 2011 (Deathly Hallows – Part 2) |
| Stream On | Max, Peacock |
| Directed by | Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, David Yates |
| Produced by | David Heyman |
| Based On | Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling |
| Plot Summary | The story follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, as he faces challenges at Hogwarts and battles the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. |
| Musical Elements | Iconic scores by John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat; notable tracks include “Hedwig’s Theme.” |
| Current Status | Available for streaming on Max and Peacock; HBO series adaptation in development |
Follow Us
